11 Things About Me

Apparently this little "11 Things" game has been going around the blogosphere and I've been tagged by my friend Carmen Peterson. Like her, I’ll happily blather on about me with little provocation. But I work best with prompts, so I’ve stolen some of the “random things” from notes I did on Facebook. And I was never a very good reporter, so my questions for friends are half stolen, too. HERE ARE THE RULES...

1. Post these rules.

2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

3. Answer the questions set for you in the post you were tagged in.

4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

5. Go to their blog, FB page, or wherever you can grab their attention and inform them of their obligation to the blogosphere.

About Me:

1. I am an Eagle Scout. Almost didn’t make it, but my scoutmaster cracked the whip on me and my best friend Chris, his son, and we finished just in time.

2. I love bicycling. I’m not into racing and fitness riding, just commuting and tooling around town or the countryside for fun. No better way to see the world.

3. I am named after my dad’s best friend from high school, Rob Smith, and Sean Connery. Seriously.

4. I really wanted to join the military when I was trying to figure out my path in high school. Movies like “Stripes” made it seem doable, though the Navy was my intention.

5. I enjoy horror films and chick flicks alike. :P

6. I used to really hate stupid emoticons. Now I just feel another guilt every time I use them, but they seem so useful. Like, exclamation points only convey enthusiasm. But the :P is a cute little F.U. without meaning any offense.

7. Which brings me to language. Supposedly intelligent people and/or prudes like to criticize folks who use profanity. “If you had a better command of the language you wouldn’t have to use curse words.” Fuck you. It is my command of the language that allows me to embrace its breadth and use all I can.

8. I’ve been to four foreign countries and been tattooed in one. (England, Wales, Sweden, Denmark.)

9. I can’t remember if I dream in color or black and white. But I do know that with one scary exception I am aware enough to alter conditions in my dreams so that when I am in danger, safe resolutions present themselves at my bequest. Rather cartoon-like.

10. I’m really a pretty nice guy. I mean that. Really, I am. Spread the word.

11. I’m a natural smart-ass and it takes genuine effort sometimes to keep it in check. It scares me. I’m worried I’ll make a smart-ass comment at an inappropriate time – it’s happened.

1.  If you could change your name to something different, even just for fun, what would it be?

Either Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez or something mixed-ethnic like Vladimir Jesus. Then, when people pronounced it "Heyzeus," I would correct them and say it's "Geezus." That would be funny for a while.

2.  What is the 1 household chore you could go without ever doing again?

Laundry, particularly the folding and putting away part.

3.  Tell me about your first car. (This can be the first car you drove or owned)

I inherited Mom's 1971 red Volkswagen Super Beetle. It was a great and cool car. It had character and was reliable. It wasn't without its quirks, but after I sold it to my buddy Paul Keser to buy a bike (as in bicycle), he related the story of how it was the only car his family had that would start one cold morning as they were headed to Burlington to see his grandma. The heat exchanger tubes that run from the engine, under the running boards, to the heat vents were rusted out and they were cold the whole trip and had to scrape frost off the inside of the windshield throughout the journey. But it got 'em there.

4.  Where did you grow up?

Five blocks from where I live today, three from my marriage home, right here in Galesburg.

5.  Do/did you have a nickname?  Tell me about it.

I've several nicknames. Some friends in high school called me Schmuck or Schmuckley (rhymes with Buck). In college I was the inevitable Bucko and Buckster (hey, it was the 80s). Today a couple friends call me Buckle and another prefers Diddy. The last is most interesting: My middle name, which I wrote under when I started at the paper and therefore still have a nameplate for at my desk, is Sean. I also am a father of three wonderful girls. My buddy Kent made the jump from Sean and Daddy to Sean P Diddy Combs. That was shortened to Diddy for me.

6.  How long have you been blogging?  What made you start?

I began my blog on Thanksgiving 2010 because I was amazed at the stuff I was finding while running. I'd starting collecting the more interesting or useful items and aluminum cans the day after Halloween when I found two perfectly good stocking caps in the street.

7.  If money were no object where would you go on vacation?

I'm torn between Australia (I know it's expensive and cool) and the U.K. I'd like to retire to Ireland, I think, and enjoy biking to the local pub and around the countryside whenever I felt like it. Not exactly vacation, but a vacay might be a nice introduction to that.

8.  College....did you go?   what did you study? anywhere you wanted to go, but didn't?

I could ramble about this forever. I wavered between University of Montana to study forestry and the U.S. Navy for submarines. Leaning toward the latter, my parents made a hard push for college. I ended up at Western Illinois University. I was excited, had my four years of courses mapped out the summer before I started with the intention of studying geology. Gave that up after one semester and eventually majored in English literature. Loved it. All of it.

9.  Tell me something shocking that most people don't about you.

As a young child, under age 5, I accidentally stuck a steak knife in my eye. Miraculously it went between the eyeball and eyelid and therefore caused no permanent damage. I was trying to open a bag of Brach's candies Mom had bought me at the grocery story, you know, the little bags they sold by the checkout back in the day.

10.  exercise....love? hate?  love to hate?

How to describe it? I'm not a fanatic like my friend Carmen, who started this whole deal. I often dread it, but I know how I feel afterward, which is great, pain or not. Emotionally, I am always better after a run. Period.

11.  You have 24 hours to literally run....walk....get as far as you can with only your two feet.  How far would you get?

Probably not very freakin' far. Assuming we're talking "Planet of the Apes"-style life or death situation ... I'll guesstimate 50 miles.

11 Questions for You

1. Were you named after anyone?

2. If you went to college, where and why? If not, why?

3. What was the last movie you watched?

4. What is your favorite cereal?

5. Tell me something shocking that most people don’t know about you.

6. Describe your musical taste.

7. If money were no object, where would you go on vacation?

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

9. Where did you grow up?

10. What is your least favorite thing about you?

11. Tell me about a favorite childhood memory.

Today's Stats

Temp: 36 degrees F outdoors (Rand indoors)

Distance: 3.1 miles

Treasure: Zip.

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

I’ve Had Enough – Lyle Lovett

The Great River – Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings soundtrack)

Things To Do InDenver When You’re Dead – Warren Zevon

Jack and Diane – John Mellencamp

Dream On – Glee Cast feat. Neil Patrick Harris

Old Brown Shoe (live) – Gary Brooker

Last Thing I Needed First Thing In The Morning – Willie Nelson

Drunken Lady of the Morning – Michael Martin Murphey

Junk – The Beatles (Anthology 3)